Publishers See Traction in Branded Podcasts

Branded content renewals are generally a tough sell, with renewal rates historically hovering below 40 percent. But branded podcasts appear to be bucking that trend, as advertisers continue to hunt for ways to spend uninterrupted time with audiences.

On Thursday, the second season of “DTR,” a podcast produced for Tinder by Gimlet’s content studio, Gimlet Creative, launched, getting a featured recommendation in Apple’s podcast app. “DTR”’s renewal is just one of many that have come through this year. Every single show produced this year by Pacific Content, a podcast company that’s produced shows for advertisers including Prudential, McAfee, and Slack, has been renewed. The first two shows that Gimlet Creative has produced a full season of have been renewed for a second season. An upcoming branded podcast that Midroll produced for a non-profit so pleased the client that they ordered more episodes before the first episode was released.